One father is a retired mathematics teacher who breaks down less than ten minutes into talking about his imprisoned son. Another is an orthopaedic surgeon who says he counts the hours, waiting for justice, by letting patients stream into his clinic well past midnight. A third is an 18-year-old student who runs a half-room library in his village. This is my comfort, he says, helping others read, as he waits to hear from his brother, in jail for six years.

There are five more.

Eight of 22 families in Azamgarh from where 14 men have been arrested over the last six years, accused of being part of the Indian Mujahideen’s terror plots. Seven others are missing, two have been killed.

One Sunday ago, Amit Shah was in town calling it aatankvadgarh (the house of terror). Mulayam Singh Yadav, who is contesting from here, has taken these families for granted. Narendra Modi was here, too, on Thursday. He made one reference to the “youth” of Azamgarh: “you will write the future of India”.

These eight families have 72 votes on May 12.

The Sunday Express meets them in the last days of Campaign 2014 for an opinion poll, of sorts.

Are you satisfied with your lawyer? No lawyer takes up these cases, so I helped set up the Association for Welfare, Medical, Education and Legal Assistance (AWMELA) to look for lawyers

Who else in suspect’s family: Mother, sister and brother

Source of income: Orthopaedic clinic

Last time you spoke with him: In jail, I am in regular touch

One thing that reminds you of him: His letter came last month, he asked if I was doing well

One thing you want to tell Rahul Gandhi: Digvijaya Singh arranged for my meeting with Union ministers but nothing came of it.

One thing you want to tell Mulayam Singh Yadav: You could have put pressure for a judicial inquiry but you didn’t. Maybe defeating (him) this time is the only way to teach a lesson. (Akhtar contested in 2009 as an Independent candidate.)

One thing you want to tell Narendra Modi: Those we voted for didn’t help, why should those we didn’t vote for listen to us?

Accused in: Not named in any case yet but investigators say he is key IM operative absconding

Are you satisfied with your lawyer? We don’t have our own lawyer. AWMELA is helping us

Who else in suspect’s family: Wife and seven-year-old son

Source of income: Agriculture

Last time you spoke with him: I got a call from Mumbai, my relatives said, please send him here because police are looking for him. I saw him board the train to Mumbai

One thing that reminds you of him: His child, he doesn’t know where his father is; I cannot even tell him that he is dead

One thing you want to tell Rahul Gandhi: You have to answer where my brother is. It was your government at the Centre and in Maharashtra. Where should I go?

One thing you want to tell Mulayam Singh Yadav: We kept praising you and now you are contesting from Azamgarh. When will I find my brother? Or will the police one day say we arrested him near Nepal? Or found him dead?

One thing you want to tell Narendra Modi: He thinks we are all terrorists. What can I say?

Number of votes in family: 13

5.

Family Spokesperson: Amir Hamza, 28

Relationship with suspect: Brother

Name of suspect: Arif Naseem

Age, educational qualification of suspect: 24, Class XII

Location of suspect: Sabarmati jail, Ahmedabad, since September 2008

Accused in: Jaipur serial blasts and Ahmedabad blasts

Are you satisfied with your lawyer?: We don’t have a lawyer. AWMELA is helping us find one

Status of case: Trial on

Who else in suspect’s family: Parents

Source of income: Cellphone repair shop

Last time you spoke with him: In jail in February, for 25 minutes. He asked me how our mother was

One thing that reminds you of him: Everything at home reminds me that he is not there

One thing you want to tell Rahul Gandhi: You should have set up a fast-track court for all terror cases. How long do we wait for justice?

One thing you want to tell Mulayam Singh Yadav: Please help us before our mother dies.

One thing you want to tell Narendra Modi: What can I say, he worked on the ek tihai (1/3rd) principle. (Excluding 1/3rd of the population.)